m. lee pelton

M. Lee Pelton is the President & CEO of the Boston Foundation, one of the nation’s leading philanthropic organizations. Formerly the President of Emerson College (2011-2021) and Willamette University (1998-2011), Pelton has positioned the Boston Foundation as a catalyst for social change, focusing on equity in programs, grantmaking, and civic leadership. In his roles as college president, he emphasized the importance of higher education in addressing societal challenges and promoted a deep appreciation for humanities. Pelton is recognized nationally for his leadership on social issues, including advocating for gun legislation after the Sandy Hook shooting and supporting affirmative action. His influential essay following George Floyd's murder reached over 6 million people globally. He holds a Ph.D. from Harvard in English literature and has received numerous awards for educational excellence and social justice, ranking #3 on Boston Magazine's list of influential people in 2023.

jennifer hanlon wigon

Jennifer Hanlon Wigon is the Executive Director of Women’s Lunch Place. In her role, she oversees program, financial, sustainability, and partnership efforts across all WLP departments, centering the guest experience and staff professional development. She leads collaboration with the Board of Directors to drive strategy and growth for the organization. Jennifer is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Women’s Shelter Network, which was established to advance the status of women and children experiencing homelessness in the U.S.

Jennifer received her Bachelor of Science in Finance from Boston College, and her Master of Business Administration from Babson College, where she served for many years as a volunteer coach in Babson’s Coaching for Leadership & Teamwork Program. In 2024, Jennifer was honored as an inaugural Innovator in Healthcare by the Boston Business Journal for her leadership in advancing health equity through the many clinical layers that address women's physical and mental health at WLP. 

MODERATOR: PARIS ALSTON

Paris Alston is co-host of Morning Edition and The Wake Up podcast at GBH News. She previously was a host of the NPR podcast “Consider This,” produced in conjunction with GBH and WBUR.

Paris also served as the host of GBH’s digital series Keep it Social about social media trends targeted at millennial and Gen Z audiences. Prior to that, she broke into the industry as an intern at UNC-TV in North Carolina and NBC10-Philadelphia. She has reported on stories from Southeast Asia, Morocco, Panama and Brazil.

A North Carolina native, Paris is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she studied media and journalism and global studies. She is currently pursuing a social impact MBA at Boston University. She is a member of the Boston and National Associations of Black Journalists and has worked extensively with print, digital, video, audio and social media.